Life has a funny way of working out sometimes. Funny might not be the right word, here. “Shitty” is probably more appropriate. While I pride myself in not resorting to curse words when I’m trying to express myself, some situations simply do not call for eloquence.
Last Wednesday I sent my boys to daycare and I noticed how it was just like any other day, except it wasn’t. It was the last local first day of school before my biggest boy goes off to school next year. It was the first day that my boy would be amongst the biggest and most experienced kids at his daycare.
As we walked through our daycare door, I heard the sound of a crying baby. I knew that sound. That was the sound of unfamiliar places and people. I knew what her parents had been feeling as they dropped off their child for one of the first times, too. I looked at my husband knowingly. It was nice to walk into a place that our kids loved, instead of fretting all day about whether they would fall in love with it. Those transition days are hard, but we were far away from them.
Thursday was just like any other day, too.
On Friday, our world was turned upside down when we received a call at 10am telling us that our daycare had been shut down and we had no childcare for our children, effective immediately.
I’m not going to go into the hows or the whys. I refuse to let myself fall into the anger and negativity that I know surrounds this situation. When you’re left in a shitty situation, you have to do what you need to do. It is upsetting enough as it is without engulfing yourself in anger.
Friday was awful. It was worse than awful. Friday was a downright shitty day. The phone call at 10 rocked my world and left me feeling hurt and confused. I hid myself in the office bathroom, fielding calls from my husband who had our van and was on his way to pick up the boys. I could not stop crying. And my cover was dashed when my husband called me from the Bluetooth system in the car. My sobs rang out over the vehicle’s sound system for my children to hear.
Sometimes Mama isn’t brave at all, boys. Sometimes Mama thinks about how hard things are going to be for us all. I think about how Gavin loves his teachers and talks about them daily. He needs to say goodbye to them at the end of each day and is sad when he doesn’t get that chance. He wants to show them his new things, and his old things that they already know all about. And I think about Cameron, and the friends he has grown up with. I think about the opportunities that he has been given through his daycare – opportunities to learn and grow and discover and be active, all for a price we somehow seemed to manage. I think about these people who have helped me raise my children. I know that their love for my kids runs deep, because I’ve seen their concern and I’ve heard their praises and I’ve watch them love my boys. And suddenly, this Mama feels very overwhelmed that this has all just been torn away from us.
We were lost. Our kids had nowhere to go, so they came with us. Dan dropped them off outside my office and as I opened the van door, Cameron unbuckled gave me a big hug and a kiss. “I’m sad that daycare broke the rules, too, Mommy.” Gavin just looked at me with his big concerned brown eyes. I tried to hold it together.
I spoiled my kids that day. We had lunch in the food court where they got three different juices between the two of them because someone couldn’t make up his mind about what juice he wanted. And those juices weren’t even touched because they drank my smoothie instead. After the hot dog and the chicken nuggets and the fries, we got frozen yogurt, because the day called for it, and we all needed a reason to be happy.
Cameron told me a few times that he wished he was still at daycare, colouring and doing crafts. He shed no tears, but he told me how sad he was that daycare broke the rules.
Gavin’s body slowly became covered in hives.
We all process the shit differently.
There’s so much to sift through. So many emotions, so many events. I don’t even know how to write about it. There’s no simple way to conclude this and I realize that in so many instances in life, there’s just no simple way to go through conclusions. They’re hard and awful in the best of situations, and often, you don’t even get that. You get daycares shutting down with no notice and you get kids who feel hurt and confused and who wake up crying and you have to spend money you don’t have while wondering if you’ll be reimbursed. You feign bravery while your heart breaks to leave a crying child at a new daycare. You feign nothing as you watch with pride a big brother comforting a little one.
Conclusions are not easy for me. I get to the end of something and I want to draw it out, or I’m simply confused over how to wrap it up nicely. But when it is finally pulled all together, conclusions bring a resolution. In writing, you can resolve things when the time is right. In real life, we’re still waiting for everything to settle. But we’re getting there. And even though this situation hasn’t quite fully concluded yet, it has brought us to a new beginning.
It looks like we had a first-day-of-something this September after all.
Tove Stakkestad says
Oh Laura – BIG HUGS to you… I am SOOOO sorry. I know the frustration of not having proper childcare – the in between – and this was so abrupt and none of your doing! I AM SORRY!!!! And huge hugs to your adorable little men!
Tove Stakkestad recently posted..Pen > Paper > Heart: Letter to a C-Section Mom
Laura O'Rourke says
Thank you, Tove. We were lucky in so many ways. We dropped in on daycare after daycare on that Friday we got the news and gratefully, all places had some openings because school had just started. That meant we could pick the best place for us to jump right in on Monday morning. Not much time to transition, but we’re doing what we need to do.
Laura O’Rourke recently posted..I Suck at Conclusions
Alison says
I feel terrible for your boys, and of course, for you and Dan, because you have so much to worry about. I am glad you found a new place for them to go, and even though it’s rough now, children are remarkable, and they’ll fit right in. Many hugs to all of you. xo
Alison recently posted..Dear Babies
Christopher D Drew says
What a crappy thing to be tossed at you. I am glad you all were able to pull together and figure it out. I hope the boys enjoy their new daycare just as much.
Amelia @ House Pretty Blog says
So sorry to hear that your family is going through this Laura. Transition is always hard, but so much harder when it’s sudden and unexpected. I’m incredibly impressed to hear how well everyone is coping and hopefully the boys love their new daycare just as much.
Amelia @ House Pretty Blog recently posted..Whitewashed beach chairs
Leigh Ann says
What a crappy situation. I’m not good when things are thrown at me like this. Seems like you guys are making the best of it. Kids bounce back fast. :)
Leigh Ann recently posted..super easy craft: diy bird plaque (+ new gallery wall!)
Tonya says
I’m so sorry, what a truly shitty situation! I hope you find a new place for your boys soon. I know you will! Hang in there! xoxo
Tonya recently posted..Cool Facebook Feature: Saving Items To Read Later
Rach (DonutsMama) says
Ugh, I”m so sorry! I’d be a mess too, thinking you have something worked out, knowing your kids love where they are and then having that torn away. I hope they grow to love their new place as much as the old one. I can’t believe how quickly they shut it down! I figured at least a week’s notice or anything? Hard thing to do to little kids.
Rach (DonutsMama) recently posted..Making Mom’s Life Easier
Rebecca says
Shoot, Laura. I’m all welling up with tears here. That was a beautiful tribute to the people who help us raise our kids. None of us can do it on our own. I hope you all settle in better than ever at the new place. And moms are too allowed to cry.
Rebecca recently posted..5 easy ways to fundraise for the cure
Jennifer says
That is something that hurts way down in the pit of your stomach. I had to move my kids once (for an entirely different reason, but still it was very bad), and I felt horrible. I’m glad that you found a good place so quickly and that the boys are adjusting well.
Jennifer recently posted..Momma Can Cook – Carmelitas
Peady says
I am so sorry this happened to your family. It just stinks! (I also have a bazillion questions, but I won’t ask.)
Thank goodness you found a space for your little guys.
It sounds like it is going to work out really well.
Elaine A. says
I now this REALLY sucked for you all and I’m SO sorry. I can only imagine ALL the feelings you felt that day and even still do. I kind of want to stomp foot and say, “It’s not fair!!”
That photo is absolutely precious because your boys are! That comment made you feel a teensy bit better, right? ;)
xoxo